The 2021 Minnesota Vikings Fantasy Football Bible
Wes Johnson
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It is that time of year again.
For those of you that play fantasy football, your draft will take place relatively soon. That begs the question — where do some of the Vikings players stack up and where can you anticipate them being drafted? The following will cover which players are likely to be drafted and where to expect them to come off the board.
Editor’s Note: All player rankings based on a 10 team, PPR format.
Dalvin Cook
Image Courtesy of Vikings.com
Cook is a player who should be either the first or second player drafted overall. He is that dynamic of an option. Cook also has a head coach who vocally demands that the offense run the ball. Last year, he finished second among running backs in fantasy scoring to only Alvin Kamara. Kamara, you may remember, received a gift boost from the Vikings porous Christmas Day defense in the form of six rushing touchdowns. Yes, six.
Cook finished the fantasy season with 1557 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. He added 361 receiving yards on 44 receptions with another touchdown.
Don’t anticipate too much, if any, regression from Cook. He will get fed in this offense — and nourished often. Cook ranks fourth in missed-tackle rate (0.23) among backs with at least 200 touches (behind Chubb, Davis, and Gibson). The biggest knock on Cook is his health, which when compared to some of the other top backs, isn’t exactly a fair assessment. The Vikings offensive line may take a game or two to begin to really jell together, but Cook should maintain some level of the same consistency.
Outlook: Round 1, Pick 1 or 2.
Justin Jefferson
After being relegated to a bench role the first two weeks of last season, Jefferson burst onto the fantasy scene in Week 3. He refused to look back after that, compiling one of the greatest seasons from a rookie wide receiver since fellow Viking, Randy Moss. Jefferson finished the season with 88 catches on 125 targets. That was netted 1400 yards and seven touchdowns. Jefferson finished the season sixth in overall points amongst all wide receivers.
For his sophomore season, look for Jefferson to continue his upward trend. A repeat statistically, while not out of the question, is unlikely. Only two players in NFL history have eclipsed 2700 yards in their first two seasons — Randy Moss (2,726) and Odell Beckham Jr (2,755).
Jefferson is positioned as the third if health and production prevail. Look for a slight regression statistically with improvements on defense allowing for a more ball-control-themed offense.
Outlook: Round 2/3
Adam Thielen
Image courtesy of Vikings.com
Thielen can do no wrong in fantasy football.
He seems to be the consistent, steady wide receiver that always ends up on and then helps carry a team to a championship. He’s just that damn good. The chemistry he shares with Kirk Cousins is reminiscent of other great fantasy duos like Patrick Maholmes and Tyreek Hill or Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. Since 2018, Thielen has averaged 0.71 touchdown receptions a game. That ranks third behind Adams (0.88) and Hill (0.79).
Last year, Thielen finished tenth in overall points amongst wide receivers. A majority of the points were tied into the whopping 14 touchdowns, but he also added 925 yards on 74 receptions. Much like Jefferson, anticipate a slight regression here as well statistically, especially with the heavy touchdown dependency. With potential changes to the offensive philosophy and the emergence of a viable WR3, Thielen may be looked upon to do a little less this year.
Outlook: Round 3/4
Irv Smith Jr.
Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith (84) celebrates after catching a 10-yard touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Irv Smith has been waiting — patiently — to be the guy.
He finally gets the opportunity in Year Three. Jettisoned is Kyle Rudolph to the New York Giants and in steps Smith to assume the team’s TE1 role. Smith is primed to be the breakout candidate on this roster and at the tight end position in fantasy. He possesses the freakish athletic ability stars at the position demand and has continually polished the crispness of his routes each year. Smith is basically an overly muscular wide receiver.
In the four games Rudolph missed last year, Smith ranked as TE4 in fantasy. He compiled two good games and two mediocre games along with three touchdowns in that span. Cousins likes to throw to his tight ends in the redzone too. Smith slots in as the third option in this offense and should feast as teams look to take away the Jefferson/Theilen duo on the outside. If you are looking for a late-round sleeper, Smith could very well be that guy at a position that is very top-heavy.
Outlook: Round 13/14
Kirk Cousins
Dec 25, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) looks to throw in the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
A quarterback with a bevy of weapons at his disposal should top fantasy lists yearly, right? Not in the case of Kirk Cousins. Cousins seems to finish as a top-12 fantasy quarterback every year, yet always gets drafted as QB16-20 — for some reason. Consistency appears to be the theme as to why.
Cousins has the ability to give you a strong 2-3 game stretch but follow it with two putrid games statistically. If you are patient and can handle the ebb and flow of his quarterback ethos, he still makes for a solid option in fantasy.
2020 found Cousins finishing as QB12 with 4,265 passing yards with 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also added 156 yards and one score on the ground. As the first half of the 2021 schedule plays out, there are a lot of opportunities for Cousins to put up points in bunches.
For whatever reason, Cousins seems to start each new NFL season slow from a statistical standpoint. He generally heats up in November. Viking fans on Twitter calls it Kirkvember.
With the potential offensive scheme change and numerous opponents with excellent defenses on tap, Cousins is a fantasy backup this year.
Outlook: Round 15/16 – undrafted
Vikings Defense
Image courtesy of Vikings.com
The Vikings defense seeks vast improvement after a sloppy 2020 campaign. General Manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer put a heavy emphasis on adding defenders in free agency. Minnesota will trot out new starters in Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson, Nick Vigil, Patrick Peterson, Mackenzie Alexander, Bashaud Breeland, and Xavier Woods amongst others potentially. That is an incredible turnaround talent-wise from what was on the field last year. It is possible that this unit might take time to coalesce, but early indications appear to buck that trend.
This is a defensive unit that should play cohesive and fast. Their defensive front should cause problems all season for opposing offensive lines. Zimmer’s defensive scheme will only help to benefit the players. With less attention needed near the line of scrimmage, the linebackers and safeties in this scheme should wreak havoc and help cause turnovers.
Outlook: Round 15/16
Rest of the Field
Image courtesy of Vikings.com
The rest of the Vikings, baring injury, look to have a minimal fantasy outlook. If you have Cook and fear that he may get injured, rostering Alexander Matteson is always a good idea. Although the Vikings signed Dede Westbrook to be the team’s WR3, he realistically is option 4/5 for Cousins. None of the other backup running backs, wide receivers, or tight ends look to have much traction in the fantasy realm.
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